Mr. Bluebird

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Sigh. Mr. Bluebird sees his reflection in our patio door and keeps banging into the glass while his lovely wife admirably looks on. This, more than likely, is the same couple that likes to feed their young on our deck. The last time I saw him by the window, Mister Poochie and Kitten Poo were watching him go at it. I think he saw them 'cuz after that, he stopped slamming into his reflection.

Hopefully he continues to refrain from this potentially destructive practice!!! --LKR

Adventures in Mud, Muck, and Slush

Hi, it's me, Mister Poochie! What a beautiful day we had, today! It was in the 60's, it was!

Ice and the white fluffy fun stuff were melting fast. Yesterday, too, was warm! Hurray!

We did not have a really long walk, today, oh, no. Mud and slippery slush kept us from going too far. For cyclists, too!

I helped Mom up this one, I did!

Some trails we had to cross over... .

Mom caught me picking up on scents, she did!

We didn't take this path, oh no!

Nor go down this trail, for sure!

Mom sunk deep into mud right here, she did!

This path is called Bump. I wanted to explore, but Mom said, "No, we go home."

I got to play wild dog on the way back, I did! I lead Mom off trails and into fields where we ran and Mom laughed.

I found a "leave it" running through the grass, I did. Mom wouldn't let me make nice. These are holes where the "leave it" live and travel. We had fun! --Mister Poochie

Dog Days in the Dead of Winter???

Hi! It's me, Mister Poochie!

Mom took this picture, she did, as my little kitty brother Toby and I were taking our nappy naps. Remember how tiny he was? Well, he's sure not that small any more, no, he's not! At 10 months, he is way bigger than our almost 17 year old kitty sister Rocky!

Mom and Alpha often have to rescue Rocky kitty kitty, they do, when he tries to "suma wrestle" with her. She just does not like that, she doesn't. Mom likens it to a toddler attacking a frail elderly lady!

Anyway, Mom says we're laying low, today. Something to do with a snow storm coming through. But when I saw a flash of lighting and heard Mom squealing with delight, I was confused. This time of year? Mom said "yes"--she knew what I was thinking, she did!

Mom just loves thunderstorms, and danced around the kitchen while I scurried out of her way. She calls it her happy dance, she does, and said the thunder and lightning makes her think of summer, her favorite season. So while we got about six inches of the white fluffy fun stuff, Mom's anticipating the sunny season!

I just want to go play and roll around in that white fluffy fun stuff, I do, but Mom says it's a white out, she did. Maybe later... . --Mister Poochie

Taking a (Much Needed) Break!

It's much warmer outside, today, but I'm still glad to have not set foot through the front door all day!!! Luxury--the kids can take Mister Poochie out during the day instead of me! In the summer, it's a pleasure; in the winter, it's a chore!!!

I've been taking breaks off of working on uploading last-minute photos and putting pages together for my daughter's elementary school's yearbook, and doing some relaxing embroidery, instead. Oh, and blogging this! Our first deadline is February 2nd, but it's better to get it done earlier. Less stress!!!

I've been on the volunteer yearbook staff for five wonderful years, now, and love it! Sadly, this is my last year, as my baby will be graduating 5th grade and entering the middle school scene. I'm really going to miss the kids, staff, and the great group of volunteers who help put together this wonderful book of memories! I'm just hoping someone will step in as the new adviser. We already have a wonderful photographer who stepped in last year to help me with the (fun and rewarding!) work load! Thanks, Anne!!! --LKR

A New Feline in the Family!

Hi! It's me, Mister Poochie!

I have some really exciting news, I do, I do! I have a new little brother! And he likes me, he does! He really does!

Isn't he cute? His name is Toby. My sibling Elizabeth named him, she did.

Toby was born on a friend's alpaca farm. He was used to having big friendly noses sniff sniff sniffing him in the face, Mom said. So my smaller muzzle doesn't scare him, yeay!

Toby shares a room with Elizabeth and keeps her up at night, just like any baby would, Mom says. Alpha says it's pay back time, he does, whatever that means.

My oldest sister Rocky Kitty Kitty doesn't mind this little white tornado. She doesn't mind, that is, until Toby gets too close too fast. Then she hiss hiss hisses for him to back off, she does. Then everything is fine in her purrfect little world.

My siblings William and Hannah love playing with and spoiling Toby, too. And everyone just loves it when he falls asleep in their arms. Alpha likes to have his time with Toby, as well, and calls him his cat. --Mister Poochie

A Tick Trip

Hi, it's me, Mister Poochie!

Mom and I were out at Lowes Creek County Park, today. It was fun fun fun! As Mom pointed out, everything is coming back to life after a very long cold winter, it is. There were buds on trees and bushes, and plenty of green along some of the trails.

We saw a dragonfly, oh, and a mourning cloak butterfly! It took a liking to me and followed after us, it did! Mom said we were probably in its territory and was checking me out, it was.

On Ridgeline Trail, we saw a turkey, we did. It flew over the creek right toward us! I wanted to make nice to it, but Mom told me to "leave it", she did. I'm a good boy, so I left it, I did.

Mom decided to lead along a less traveled trail you need a machete to walk through during the summer months. This path follows along the water's edge before stopping at a bend in the winding creek. I got a nice long drink of cool cool water, I did, and splashed around. This was while Mom took pictures of what I thought were funny looking insects. I pulled her, and she pulled me. I need a longer leash, I do!

There were also lots and lots of deer tracks all over, there were. It must be a popular place for them to cross over to the other side, Mom said. I sniff sniff sniffed. No one I recognized, this time! I know many deer that come through our yard, I do--at least by scent!

Walking back to the trail we strayed from, Mom stopped to flick a tick from her shoulder. Then she looked down at her legs, she did. I did too, and uh oh! A steady stream of ticks was crawling up both her legs, they were! Quickly and calmly she flick flick flicked them off one by one. Through it all, she seemed strangely amused, she did, but that is Mom. I lost count after 30, I did. I would not want that many on me, oh no!

We went home and Mom started dinner, she did. Many times she stopped, plucked off, and drowned even more ticks. Mom later told Alpha she found a dozen more on her after we got home. Thankfully Mom only found two on me! --Mister Poochie

Sienna

Hi, Mister Poochie, here!

Today, I'll tell you about my little buddy, Sienna, I will. Sienna is my sibling Hannah's little red stuffed bear. Together, they are doing a geography project for school, they are.

You can help by participating in one of two ways, you can: 1) if you see them personally, you can sign Sienna's book of travels, or 2) you can sign their blog under "comments". Just click on: http://siennastraveljournal.blogspot.com/

The class needs to know where you live or lived, where you work, what you do, and interesting places you've traveled, they do. They will be charting it at school on maps sometime later in the spring, although Mom thought it might be fun to leave the blog up indefinitely, she does. She used to homeschool my siblings, she did, and says it's "still in her".

The picture above is of me and Sienna, today. Mom had given me a big yummy yummy chewy chewy boney bone, and I asked Sienna if she would like to nibble on it with me. Sienna doesn't eat as much as my kitty sister Rocky does when we share things, she doesn't! Mom says I always eat things quickly even without any help!
--Mister Poochie

Frigid Arctic Air Blows in...

Mom calls me a Kissy Boy because I kiss kiss kiss everything. Boxes. Toys. My kitty sister Rocky. Mom. Siblings. Windows. And doors.

This morning, as Mom was getting ready to take me out into the white fluffy fun stuff gone slippery, I kissed the heavy inside door, I did. I then kissed the outside door. I had to pull pull pull 'til my tongue finally came back to me. Mom kissed, cuddled, and fussed over me, and now I don't quite remember how I felt before my tongue wouldn't come back. I love to cuddle, I do, I do!

We went outside and both slid on the white fluffy fun stuff gone slippery. I quickly did what I needed to do, and asked if we could go back inside, I did. Mom said it was -39F with the windchill, whatever that means. I'll just say it was really cold out there, even for me in my winter fur coat, it was!

Before we went in, I almost ate my sibling William's snowman, I did. He made the eyes and mouth with my din-din, he did. I think he would have told me it was a big no-no, I do.

My siblings are home, again, today. It's not the weekend or a snow day, Mom said, she did. Today's a cold day. It sure is, I say! --Mister Poochie

More White Fluffy Fun Stuff!

Mom was in for quite a surprise, she was. Running out the door in her shoes, holding me by my collar, she shrieked. "Waaaaait! Wait a minute! We're going back in! I need my boots!"

Well, we needed more than her boots, we did! My chain was buried under about 2 1/2" of snow, it was, so she slipped what Mom says Nagypapa called "necklaces" over my head, attached to my leash, and off we went. She grabbed her camera, of course, she did, and out into the white fluffy fun stuff we went.

Even at her age, Mom ran around the yard with me, she did. But she didn't want to for long. She does like the white fluffy fun stuff, she does, when it's falling and looks so clean and pure, she said. But not when it's mucky sloshy and slushy, or black or gray like it gets in NYC, NJ, and Chicago, she said.

It's the cold that really bothers her, it does. She told me if we ever move, she's praying it's to the tropics, she said. Wherever that is, I say.

Mom spoiled us when we got back inside, she did. After putting up water for hot chocolate, she gave me leftover rice stuffing from Thanksgiving that "needed to be eaten or thrown away", she did. I ate and was filled. I had been snacking all day, I had!

Turning on the gas fireplace, she handed me my bony bone, she did. I chewed chewed chewed, while she sipped her hot chocolatey drink. It was fun with me and Mom together until my kitty sister Rocky came out of hiding, jumping into Mom's lap. I had to one-up her, I did! I can't let my social order slip in my pack, I can't, so I tried to get into Mom's lap, too!

But I am too big, and Mom won't allow it, she won't. My brother Charlie used to curl up in her lap, he did, even when she was eight months pregnant with my sister Lizabeth. I'm only slightly larger than Charlie, I am, but Mom insists I don't know my size and am not mindful of my paws like all her other poochies.

Other poochies? She's comparing me to other poochies? Excuse me, please. I have to work on one-upping them too, I do! --Mister Poochie

White Fluffy Fun Stuff

Hi, It's me, Mister Poochie!

Alpha took my siblings to his mom's for the day, he did. They're going to help set up her Christmas tree. I want one of my very own, I do, so I don't have to go out on those really cold days and nights to water things.

Mom hasn't put any of the pretty stuff I knock around and down with my tail of cedar, she hasn't, because they celebrated Thanksgiving late, they did. Alpha was 13 hours away from home with his mom, he was, and Mom didn't want anyone to feel they missed out on what she calls a very important Christian Holiday.

But she's told me she's going to do it soon, she said, because of the long northern winters. And the cold. And that white fluffy fun stuff you all call snow. Mom sometimes refers to it as yet another four letter word, she does. I don't think she likes the white fluffy fun stuff, but I do, I do!

As a puppy, I used to run free and play in it with my puppy pals Cosmo and Cinnamon. Old timers like Louie and my older brother Charlie sometimes joined in, although Charlie would flop over, he would, sometimes.

I started getting in trouble when I began chasing cars up and down the road, I did. I also became known as "Puppy Thug" when I started stealing gloves, mittens, hats, and scarves off of my siblings, the neighborhood young ones, and people Mom always refers to as "leave it joggers". She sure knows how to spoil fun, she does!

So now I go out on my chain, and bark bark bark. I bark at the neighbor's rooster I hear in the distance. I also get a conversation going with my puppy pals. I bark at cars, bikes, and the lone skier as he goes up the big hill. And when the wind is blowing just right and I can hear them, I bark at the cows that are out grazing in their big fenced-in yard a mile away. I'd love to go play with them, I would, but Mom's never gotten me a play date, she hasn't.

Well, the white fluffy fun stuff is flying, and I need to go water something, I do. If we had an indoor tree, this wouldn't be a problem, now, would it?! --Mister Poochie

A Walk Through Fairfax Park

Hi! It's me, Mister Poochie taking over for Mom while she's busy working on yearbook!

I took Mom for a fun walk through Fairfax Park, today, I did. It was the first time either of us have ever walked these trails! Mom was bringing me to the vet, she was, but had to stop at the middle school to drop off my oldest sister's violin, you know? Lizabeth had her hands full, this morning, she did, bringing a rubber band car on the bus that she built for her science class!

We had some time to kill, we did, and suddenly Mom thought of those trails. I love to walk, I do, I do! So, I pulled pulled pulled her all over the place. She didn't think she'd need my pinch collar and back-up choke collar since we were only going to the vet's! Thanks, Mom, really, thanks! I really got to be lead dog for real, I did!

Mom also didn't bring her camera, so I have no pictures to show you, none at all. But, it was fun, it was, even though it was cold and very, very windy, even for me. And I was too busy sniff sniff sniffing and watering things to let it bother me much, though, you know? Poor Mom--she rarely wears her gloves, but she sure took them out for this walk, she did!

Hey! Was that you we saw walking in front of us?

--Mister Poochie

A Walk in the Woods and Wetlands

"Mom! Hey, Mom! This way, this way! Let's go this way!" Oh, I forgot, I did. She has an agenda, today, she does. We're going onto trails she's never walked before, we are! An adventure we're off to, what fun! What fun!

We'll start off on the usual paths, we will. And be linking unexplored trails to the ones we know well, too, Mom said. Lowes Creek County Park has many trails for bikes, "leave it joggers", hikers, and us poochies on leashes. I love to come back here, I do!


We've walked for quite a while, we have. We usually don't walk this fast. There's always too much to smell and see, so we usually stop a lot, we do. But, not today!

I love walking through this part of the park, I do. It's so peaceful and tranquil. The leaves are pretty too,they are. Mom likes it too, she does.


By now we are out passed the trail "Red Flint". It turns into lots of other trails, it does. Mom's figuring out which is what and where they lead. But she knows exactly were we are, she does. If we go further east, we will be out by 93! See that blue in the top left corner? That building is on 93!


Remember Mom's blog on Waste Research and Reclamation Environmental Services? This is the back of WRR that was on fire, it is. That big black tower had huge flames coming from it, it did, and was on tv. It made really big news!

I remember it well, I do. It's not that often Mom takes me out before 7AM! But this day she did for sure, she did!

I got to see those thick black clouds of smoke, but mainly just sniffed the air. I doubt one of you would have smelled it where we lived, but Alpha sure did, he said.

He had been on 93 and got to see the huge balls of fire pouring from that tower right over there, he did.

Mom believes we are now where the polluted wetlands are. They got even more toxic after this fire, they did.


I got a drink back here. From standing water, uh oh. We just had rain, we did, but Mom was not too happy. Neither was my vet when he found out, he wasn't. "Deer ticks and toxic water--not very good", he said, shaking his head.

But pretty things still grow here, they do. We saw lots and lots of late blooming wildflowers and weeds back here! And pretty yellow butterflies and bees, too!


Look! See?! Take a peek at this, please do! Mom saw this and took two blurry pictures, she did! She said it freaked her out, it did. I did not smell what she saw. I was busy watching what Mom calls "leave it joggers", I was. But it does look like a man by the door, doesn't it, you think?

We're heading back now, we are.
Mom and I bring home little deer tick from here, we do. They are small and hard to find, even when they get bigger this time of year.

Mom forgot to put natural tick repellent on us both. She makes it with essential oils in olive oil, and it's always worked well for us, it has.


We're back to where we started from, we are. This is one of the paths us locals take to enjoy these trails. Many bicyclists ride these trails and can get in at several places.

I need another drink, I do! I can't wait to get home, I can't! We've been out here for three fun hours!

We're almost to the van! We're almost to the van, we are! I can't wait to go bye-bye in the van! We live only one block away, but Mom drives us here, she does. I don't stay in my yard, I don't, so she drives us to this local's entrance. I do think she's right, I do. If I smell my scent walking here, this would become part of my big backyard too, it would! --Mister Poochie